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View synonyms for

contempt

[kuhn-tempt]

noun

  1. the feeling with which a person regards anything considered mean, vile, or worthless; disdain; scorn.

  2. the state of being despised; dishonor; disgrace.

  3. Law.

    1. willful disobedience to or open disrespect for the rules or orders of a court contempt of court or legislative body.

    2. an act showing such disrespect.



contempt

/ əˈɛ /

noun

  1. the attitude or feeling of a person towards a person or thing that he considers worthless or despicable; scorn

  2. the state of being scorned; disgrace (esp in the phrase hold in contempt )

  3. wilful disregard of or disrespect for the authority of a court of law or legislative body

    contempt of court

“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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Other Word Forms

  • self-contempt noun
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Word History and Origins

Origin of contempt1

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin contemptus “despising, scorn,” noun derivative of contemnere “to despise, scorn”; contemn
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Word History and Origins

Origin of contempt1

C14: from Latin contemptus a despising, from contemnere to contemn
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Idioms and Phrases

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Synonym Study

contempt , disdain , scorn imply strong feelings of disapproval and aversion toward what seems base, mean, or worthless. contempt is disapproval tinged with disgust: to feel contempt for a weakling . disdain is a feeling that a person or thing is beneath one's dignity and unworthy of one's notice, respect, or concern: a disdain for crooked dealing . scorn denotes open or undisguised contempt often combined with derision: He showed only scorn for those who were not as ambitious as himself.
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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

"For me, I can only look at them with contempt, because I see on the ground the suffering that their neglect has caused," she added.

From

His or her line of work demands utter commitment, if not active contempt for the very concept of a “personal life.”

From

When Trump won the election, Fugate marked the moment with an emotional post about believing in him “from the very start, even to the scorn and contempt of my peers.”

From

“Stripping his name from a Navy ship won’t erase his legacy as an American icon, but it does reveal Trump’s contempt for the very values our veterans fight to protect.”

From

The corporation argued the threshold for contempt of court proceedings against MI5 and three individual officers had been met.

From

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